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Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

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Chemistry

Selected Works

Adam R Urbach

2015

Proteins

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Sequence-Specific, Nanomolar Peptide Binding Via Cucurbit[8]Uril-Induced Folding And Inclusion Of Neighboring Side Chains, Lauren C. Smith, David G. Leach, Brittney E. Blaylock, Omar A. Ali, Adam R. Urbach Nov 2015

Sequence-Specific, Nanomolar Peptide Binding Via Cucurbit[8]Uril-Induced Folding And Inclusion Of Neighboring Side Chains, Lauren C. Smith, David G. Leach, Brittney E. Blaylock, Omar A. Ali, Adam R. Urbach

Adam R Urbach

This paper describes the molecular recognition of the tripeptide Tyr-Leu-Ala by the synthetic receptor cucurbit[8]uril (Q8) in aqueous buffer with nanomolar affinity and exceptional specificity. This combination of characteristics, which also applies to antibodies, is desirable for applications in biochemistry and biotechnology but has eluded supramolecular chemists for decades. Building on prior knowledge that Q8 binds to peptides with N-terminal aromatic residues, a library screen of 105 peptides was designed to test the effects of residues adjacent to N-terminal Trp, Phe, or Tyr. The screen used tetramethylbenzobis(imidazolium) (MBBI) as a fluorescent indicator and resulted in the unexpected discovery that MBBI …


Sequence-Specific Recognition And Cooperative Dimerization Of N-Terminal Aromatic Peptides In Aqueous Solution By A Synthetic Host, Lisa Heitmann, Alexander Taylor, P Hart, Adam Urbach Nov 2015

Sequence-Specific Recognition And Cooperative Dimerization Of N-Terminal Aromatic Peptides In Aqueous Solution By A Synthetic Host, Lisa Heitmann, Alexander Taylor, P Hart, Adam Urbach

Adam R Urbach

This article describes the selective recognition and noncovalent dimerization of N-terminal aromatic peptides in aqueous solution by the synthetic host compound, cucurbit[8]uril (Q8). Q8 is known to bind two aromatic guests simultaneously and, in the presence of methyl viologen, to recognize N-terminal tryptophan over internal and C-terminal sequence isomers. Here, the binding of Q8 to aromatic peptides in the absence of methyl viologen was studied by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), 1H NMR spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography. The peptides studied were of sequence X-Gly-Gly, Gly-X-Gly, and Gly-Gly-X (X = Trp, Phe, Tyr, and His). Q8 selectively binds and dimerizes Trp-Gly-Gly …